1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inverted pendulum type vehicle configured to be capable of moving in all directions on a floor surface.
2. Description of Background Art
An inverted pendulum type vehicle including a moving motion unit configured to be capable of moving in all directions on a floor surface and a tilting section capable of tilting with respect to the vertical direction is known. See, for example, JP-A No. 2011-063241.
When utilized as a vehicle, the inverted pendulum type vehicle of this kind is provided with an occupant riding section in the tilting section. Also, the vehicle is moved by driving the moving motion unit by an actuator device according to the tilting and the like of the occupant riding section on which an occupant rides.
In an inverted pendulum type vehicle (may be hereinafter simply referred to as a vehicle) including an occupant riding section, basically, it is considered to be preferable to control the movement of a moving motion unit making a state where the center of gravity of the entirety of an occupant riding on the occupant riding section and the vehicle is positioned on the action line of the grounding load applied to the moving motion unit in other words, a state where the center of gravity of the entirety is positioned just above the action center point of the grounding load (so-called floor reaction force center point); a dynamically balanced state considering a centrifugal force when the vehicle turns; (these states may be hereinafter generically referred to as a balance state) a stationary convergence target at the time the vehicle does not turn.
However, it was revealed by various experiments and studies by the inventor of the present application that there was a case where the steering performance and the riding quality of the vehicle were spoiled as shown below when movement of the moving motion unit was controlled so that the center of gravity of the entirety was constantly converged to the balance state.
More specifically, the occupant normally tries to move the center of gravity of the occupant himself or herself relatively to the occupant riding section according to movement of the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle is to be turned or when the vehicle is to be translationally moved comparatively quickly, the occupant tries to move the center of gravity of the occupant himself or herself relatively to the occupant riding section to the center side of the turning radius of the vehicle or the side same as the direction of the translational movement of the vehicle.
However, when movement of the moving motion unit is controlled so that the center of gravity of the entirety is constantly converged to the balance state, the moving motion unit is moved so that the center of gravity of the entirety is maintained at the balance state, and therefore the occupant riding section becomes a tilted state so that the center of gravity of the vehicle moves to the direction opposite to the direction to which the occupant tries to move the center of gravity of the occupant himself or herself.
Therefore, the occupant feels that movement of the center of gravity of the occupant himself or herself has been offset by movement of the center of gravity of the vehicle, and may have a feeling of incongruity with respect to steering of the vehicle and the riding quality.